1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical clips, and more particularly, to hemostatic surgical clips for application to blood vessels or body tissue.
2. Description of Related Art
Ligation or occlusion of veins, arteries or blood vessels has been a necessary part of surgical procedures for many years. Typically, a severed vessel requires closure on both sides of a severance site before actual cutting takes place. In the past, surgeons used thread or suture material to tie a vessel prior to severing the vessel. This procedure was often time-consuming and required great dexterity on the part of the surgeon. In many instances, the assistance of a nurse or attending surgeon was necessary to perform this procedure.
The advent of surgical clips and clip appliers has greatly enhanced the art of vessel occlusion. Surgical clips are now commonly used for vessel ligation and occlusion. Examples of surgical hemostatic clips are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,171,253; 5,171,252; 5,100,420; 5,084,057; 4,971,198; 4,844,066; 4,799,481; 4,702,247; 4,414,721; 4,188,953; 4,146,130; 3,867,944; and 3,363,628.
Many factors are critical to the design and performance of a surgical hemostatic clip. For example, the clip should not slip or become dislodged from a vessel after it has been applied. If the clip is not securely positioned, blood or other bodily fluid may begin flowing into the surgical site through the unclamped vessel. This serves to delay the operation while the surgeon locates and reclamps the vessel. Depending upon the type and location of the surgery, reclamping the vessel may be difficult.
Another consideration is that a surgical hemostatic clip should be designed to fully and completely close about a vein, artery, or vessel and completely stop the flow of blood or fluid therethrough. A clip which does not completely occlude the blood or fluid flow may be unsuitable for its intended function.
Generally, surgical hemostatic clips are U-shaped or V-shaped in configuration and define a pair of legs joined at one end by an apex or crown and spaced apart at the opposed ends to define an opening therebetween. The inside surfaces of the clip legs may be constructed in a manner to improve the occluding functions of the clip as well as to restrict dislocation of the clip after it has been applied to the target blood vessel. An example of a clip which purports to have such a construction is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,722 to Failla. This clip includes an elongated groove in one of the legs thereof with a correspondingly configured tongue depending from the opposed leg thereof. Transverse grooves are formed across the tongue and groove.
An improved surgical hemostatic clip is needed however, to provide optimum vessel occlusion and clip retention on tissue during a surgical procedure.